To carry on the success of SharePlay with Facetime, Apple has now introduced the same SharePlay feature with Message to synchronize the activities like Games, Movies, Music, Workouts, etc with friends and family members on the latest macOS and iOS devices.
However, all users can’t take deep dive into the fun wagon of SharePlay with Message, as they have recently encountered SharePlay not working in Message on Mac after updating to the latest macOS. Sad, no? But feel free; the following guide will help you find all the problems causing SharePlay not working on Message.
Fixes for SharePlay Not Working In Messages On a Mac
Along with changes in macOS, it brings a lot of admirable features, and one of that SharePlay via Message. But it seems to be false-playing for some users. Don’t worry! Got Stuck with the same issue, but fixed it by following this troubleshooting guide.
Fix #1: Make Sure Active Apple TV+ Subscription
To start using Shareplay with the Messages app on Mac, we must require Apple TV+ Subscription. If you don’t have the Open the TV app on mac, and Purchase a Subscription using the Valid Payment method.
Pricing,
Case 1: Have you Bought a new Apple Device? or With Your Next Apple Device purchase, Get 3 Months Free Apple TV+ Subscription.
Case 2: $4.99/Month Plan, with 7 Days Free Trial and Share with Family Option.
Case 3: Three plans with Apple One Subscription include Apple TV+ along with music, Arcade, iCloud+, News+, Fitness+ in ($14.95/mo)Individual, ($19.95/mo)Family, and ($29.95/mo)Premier – First Month Free Trial.
Fix #2. Re-Login Message
A minor or unusual glitch on the Message can not allow SharePlay to work on Mac. At this point, re-logging into Message can be a problem solver. Here are the steps to do so.
Sign-Out,
- Open the Messages App on your Mac Computer. Then select the Message.
- From the top menu Message Dropdown, click on Settings…(Command + ,)
- Click on @ iMessage > Settings. Lastly, Sign Out.
Sign-In,
- Now reopen the Message App; when you do so, instantly, you will receive a Message Window saying, “Sign Into iMessage With Your Apple ID.”
Note: If you receive Apple ID Incorrect On Mac, check if you have entered the correct credential. If everything seems OK, log in with the same credential again.
- Enter the log-in credential and next click on Sign-In.
That’s it!
Fix #3. Check Internet Connection
For SharePlay to resolutely use Message on Mac or any compatible peripheral needs to have a Stable and Active Internet connection between the sender and receiver. Since SharePlay is not just a content streaming aspect, but it is a formal way to interact with each in real-time.
Good internet means the network to which you are connected should have Good Ping, plus the Uploading Speed to download it rapidly. On the other hand, a bad internet connection can significantly let out while streaming videos. Or else you ended up with SharePlay not working on Message on Mac.
Fix #4. Ensure You And Other Participants Have macOS Ventura & Later And iOS 16 And Later
To increase the limitation of SharePlay, Apple announced that you can now use the feature with Message as soon as they update their Mac to macOS 16, similar to iPhone with iOS 16.
And suppose a participant still hasn’t updated the required macOS or iOS to use SharePlay with Message. In that case, the story ends up unable to Stream Movies, Music, etc., with friends and family members using SharePlay.
Fix #5. Enable Message And SharePlay On Mac
If you are still stuck with this article, it means SharePlayButton is greyed out on Message even after having the latest macOS. So eventually, the try you need to do is, check if SharePlay is enabled on your latest macOS Version.
Because capturing it in the disable condition, can be the reason for SharePlay not working in Message.
Nevertheless, the feature is by default enabled, but due to intentional or accidental touch in the SharePlay Settings for Message can cause such issues.
So verify that SharePlay Settings under the Message is enabled. If yes, move forward to the following troubleshooting.
Fix #6. Check If App Supports SharePlay
SharePlay with Message is newly launched on the latest macOS; that’s why it might be compatible with limited apps. But being unknown can lead us to a false state of SharePlay Not Working On Message On Mac.
So before genuinely believing it, check if the App you are trying to use is compatible with SharePlay.
These are some well-known apps compatible with SharePlay
- Disney+
- Paramount+
- NBA TV
- ESPN+
- TikTok
- MasterClass
- Hulu
- Twitch
- HBO Max
- Twitch
- Pluto TV
- Fitness
- Twitch
- Flow
- Spotify
However, there are third-party apps that you can verify under the App sharing setting. If the Message is shown under it, then you use it.
Fix #7. Check Message And Compatible App Server Status
Considering all the culprits, the trouble with SharePlay sessions on Mac can be due to the low server status of either Message or the SharePlay Compatible Apps. Rarely it happens, but it’s better to check if that’s not the leading cause to look on.
For instance, you might want to share music with SharePlay on Message through Apple Music or Spotify. Unfortunately, any app in the scene with Low Server Status can cause the issue.
Fix #8. Update SharePlay Compatible App
After getting surety, the App you are using is compatible with SharePlay; you need to verify if the Application has the latest version. Because the outdated version of Applications doesn’t match the requirement of the new macOS, which ultimately causes SharePlay Message Not Working in Message on Mac, to do so, follow the given below steps.
- Go to the App Store. Enter the name of the App in Search Bar.
- See if there is an update available; if yes, click Update.
Fix #9. Verify SharePlay Compatible Application Require Paid Subscription
Coming at this point, you might be aware that everything you require to run SharePlay on Message on Mac is checked marked. But it’s said that some well-known apps like Spotify, Disney+, and ESPN+ need a paid subscription on both the sender and receiver end to use SharePlay on Message.
Similarly, if you are sharing Games or Movies, that needs to be owned by you. Again, that’s genuinely said; you can’t share the paid content using SharePlay on Message if your family member or friend didn’t pay for it.
Fix #10. Force Quit App
However, being in a flow in all manner, sometimes applications can be caught with bugs or glitches. And you may encounter disturbance of using SharePlay with Message. In such a scenario, always force quitting the problematic Application works wonders.
In this case, force quit Message and Application from where you want to share content using the share play. Here are the steps to do so.
Force Quit: Select Apple Logo > Force Quit… or (Command-Option-Escape.) Next, select the Message and App from where you want to share content. And then click on Force Quit.
After doing so, relaunch both applications to verify the issue. If SharePlay seems to be working well with Message, hold here. If not, move to the next troubleshooting step.
Fix #11. Force Restart Mac
Even if it’s macOS, the system doesn’t seem to run all the time perfectly. For example, randomly buggy or misbehaving Mac sometimes hinders the SharePlay functionality with Message on Mac. And the most efficient and quick way to fix it is REBOOTING MAC!
Restart Mac: Apple Logo > Restart… > Restart
Fix #12. Use AirPods Or Beats Headphones
Some users experienced difficulty using SharePlay with their Third-Party headphones when the content was being watched on the device. What users go through when they connect Wireless Earphones to their peripherals in the result they receive “SharePlay Not Supported By “Earphone Model Name.”
Since Apple hardware is well designed to know the Bluetooth latency of every Earphone when connected to Mac or iPhone, it prompts you to connect AirPods or Beats Pro as of now; it’s Apple’s Hardware requirement to use SharePlay with Message.
If you don’t have AirPods or Beats Pro, try using it with a built-speaker.
Fix #13. Contact App Developer
After playing around with all the troubleshooting tricks, it’s better to Contact App Developers. They can now give the in-depth status regarding the app feature and bugs. And the answer to What we need to do is fix the App bugs causing SharePlay not working in Message on Mac.
Fix #14. Contact Apple Support Team
If everything seems to go well, apps are under the compatibility list, have subscriptions of applications, updated with the latest macOS or iOS, using AirPod or Beats Pro, etc. It’s nothing but the inability to use shareplay with the Message feature; contact the Apple Support Team, and ask about the problem you are facing.
Bottom Line!
Most of the time, SharePlay is working perfectly. Unsurprisingly, app compatibility and subscription requirements can be the primary reason for some. Now after going through the complete guide, you might be known with the primary requirement of SharePlay, there is no chance to re-capture SharePlay not working in Message on Mac
